by Rees Palermo

I keep asking, why do we do this sport of Alpine ski racing, especially into our later years of life?

Well, there’s nothing quite like it.

by Jonathan Garey-Sage

We all came together for the first race of the 25/26 season at Sugar Bowl. The weather was perfect for early January with clear blue skies and temps warming to the mid 30’s.

We just launched a Member Spotlight survey, and we’d love your help.

The goal is simple: help future members see who Far West Masters really is—the people, the stories, and the community that make racing with us so special. Your responses may be featured on our website or social media to help curious skiers feel more confident about jumping in.

Thank you to racers J. C. Fat and Linda Crowell for submitting photos from the Sugar Bowl race weekend January 10-11, 2026. We’ve also got a great POV video taken with Meta glasses which was posted to Instagram by Mike Shklovski.

Thank you to everyone who completed the survey earlier this year and provided all of the great recruiting ideas, we are working behind the scenes to build out some of them and are already starting to see some benefit. Recruiting and marketing is a lot of work, and our members are our best resource to maximize our outreach. What can you do to help in recruiting efforts?

Every one of us remembers our first Masters race, the mix of excitement and nerves, wondering if we'd fit in, hoping we wouldn't embarrass ourselves. Now that we have some new members joining us this season, let's make sure their first experience is as welcoming as ours was (or better!).

Here are some simple ways you can help new racers feel like part of the FWM family from day one.

Not every race day looks the same. Some days you’re standing around for hours in midwinter cold. Others you’re rotating laps, coaching, or moving constantly. The Far West Masters SYNC Performance collection is intentionally broad so you can match the right category of gear to how you actually ski.

Use this guide to compare options by category and quickly zero in on what fits your needs.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the Far West Masters Scholarship Program is watching young athletes develop over the years, and few stories illustrate this better than Rhett Lindsey's journey. Now in his sixth year with the program, Rhett is our senior scholarship athlete this season. He grew up training at Palisades Tahoe and has taken a significant step in his racing career: a gap year training in Europe as he works toward his goal of making the U.S. Ski Team.

While Rhett pursues that dream, Far West Masters remains proud to be his sponsor. He recently sent us the update below from Europe.

The speed disciplines of SG and DH are conducted with strict control of the race venue for the safety of all participants - competitors, officials, and course crew.

by Rees Palermo
As I sit here on this dreary, rainy New Year’s Day morning, I ponder: what the conditions will be like at the Sugar Bowl races, January 10-11? Actually, the weather report looks great! It should be clear and cold. And, we may have a few days of snow between now and then with a sunny day just before that weekend.

One of the questions racers often ask is what happens if they don't finish their first run. The good news is that Masters racing has a provision that may let you take a second run anyway.

Starting in 2026 we are hosting regular Happy Hour Mixers at local venues offering food and drink specials and that are open to everyone.

If you’ve been thinking about getting into masters racing, want to learn more about local training opportunities or just curious about what masters is all about, come meet fellow racers, coaches and fans and let us answer any questions you might have.

by Melissa House
Waiting for the season to start gave me time to look back through my training notes. I've kept notes on my racing off and on for years, but last season I wrote down what I worked on almost every training day. Reading through them reminded me of things that clicked, like finally understanding level shoulders because of a drill Coach Steve did with bamboo poles, and the afternoon slalom sessions that helped me start to really feel my line and body position.

One of the biggest challenges many of our members have expressed is the lack of flexible, drop-in training opportunities - whether due to the cost of full season programs or just navigating difficulties in their work and family schedules to commit for the whole year. We are excited to say that several local programs heard you and are now offering sessions to fit your schedule, budget and objectives. Drop-ins are a great for trying a new program, getting insight from different coaches and getting to know fellow racers that maybe you only see occasionally at races during the season. Come out and sharpen your skills, get gate time in, and stay connected with the Masters community.

We're trying something new and fun—a caption contest!

The photo below captures Coach Steve Lehr dispensing wisdom (or perhaps demonstrating the finer points of dramatic hand gestures?) at the top of a training course. What do you think he's saying? What sage advice is being shared? What critical tactical insight is being imparted amid the snow-laden trees?

FWM Scholarship athlete Dylan Schemenauer wins Race Place Catalog Cover Contest, and an email update from Scholarship recipient Max Cooper.

Looking for a fun, low-key way to get some gates in this spring? Palisades Tahoe is running their Town Race League series on Tuesday afternoons from March through April—a chance to race timed GS gates down Julia's Gold off the Exhibition chair.

Looking to add more race days to your calendar? Open League, a member of the Bay Area Snow Sports Council and Far West Skiing Association, offers recreational races for adult skiers in the North Lake Tahoe area throughout the season.

Far West Masters scholarship athlete Kash Vankirk took on the Birds of Prey course at Beaver Creek on Thursday, forerunning the Men's World Cup Downhill, and capturing the experience on a POV camera for all of us to see.